Looking for good non-plastic fermenters

[Ace]

I'm looking for a few good fermentation containers.  I'm one of those unfortunates who can taste plastic when it's been used to store food or drink (especially anything alcoholic), so I'm looking for something other than the usual food-grade 25L plastic buckets.  I'll be using the them both for spirits and beer. Maybe glass?  Or stainless?

I've seen the large 25L glass bottles, but with such a narrow neck, it seems like they would be very difficult to clean.

I'm a little concerned about weight, so I'd prefer several smaller containers to a single large one.

Any suggestions for a possible source would be appreciated.

I'm located in Nelson, in case it matters.

 

 

[Chris Banks]

This is my 30L solution to the plastic and visibility problems and easy enough to clean - just upgraded to 12mm clear so can transfer under CO2 pressure also (havent drilled airlock/blowoff hole or dip tube hole in new top yet ) would be easy add a thermowell also....

Aaaah if only its bottom was conical !!

 

 

[Hugh Grierson]

I don't think plastic is the problem, but the grade of plastic,if you are using plastic buckets you are probably drinking plasticisers, pigments and a few zeno estrogens .

Moobs and decresed sex drive anyone..?

I use  80L brewtec barrels, they can ferment 60L with room. The plastic is food and alcohol grade. I can taste plastics quite well, but never noticed any in my beer, and compared to vince's beer, (brewed in a very sexy tear drop glass fermentor ) can't notice a difference.

Good value at $ 85

[vdog]

Where do you get those from Hugh? 80L would be great, I'm using 60's and it's not quite big enough.

[Ace]

I've tried several high-grade food and alcohol-safe plastics, but unfortunately I can still taste them.  My wife thinks I'm crazy.

"tear drop glass fermentor"?  Sounds interesting.  Any idea where vince gets them?

[Hugh Grierson]

The glass fermentor was one of those second hand random bargains from brewers CoOp, just luck really, they are really rare. The 80L fermentors are at all the brewtec shops.

[martin w]

i use 50l stainless kegs,i cat the top out of them like a keggle but i wish i hadn't done that now as i use gold pans for lids and the seal isn't the best, i didn't strap it down tight enough on one brew and fruit flies got in there!, if i were to redo them i would get the fermenter conversion kit from brewers hardware. as for cleaning them you can get various powders/dishwasher tablets etc that will dissolve all the crud and if you got really carried away you could make a cip head and hook it up to a pump!

[Horace]

You could try something like this seems like a relatively cheap way to convert a sanke keg for use as a fermenter

 

http://www.brewershardware.com/American-Sanke-Keg-Fermenter-Kit-wit...